Knockagh Lodge Hotel (Fawlty Towers) - Avoid at all costs!

Tasha70

Hi MSE'rs

Just thought i'd share my recent nightmare story with you all when I had a terrible experience recently at the Knockagh Lodge in Greenisland - which has recently tried to become a hotel... and after staying there I can say it has failed miserably.

I don't know where to start:
Bumpy roadway leading into the place, although on a positive note there were a lot of horses around 10 - 15 trotting about which was nice to look at (since then I’ve learnt an equestrian centre is situated directly beside the hotel, so I’m guessing this is the reason for that) also a lot of debris / broken up rubble / litter scattered around the car park

I’ve also learnt recently that Yellow Pages advertises this place with a 15m Swimming Pool / Gym, don't be packing your bikinis, as it’s just a myth!

My niece was getting married for the 2nd time, and although she had her heart set on the nearby Clarion Carrickfergus, she opted for this place as her date was fully booked. I had been to the Knockagh carvery in the past and couldn’t fault it one bit, but the wedding meal they served us was vile. I didn’t eat much and when my niece came over to chat with us and my plate still in front of me, I just told her that they give us too much. At the end of the evening, 10 minutes after the entertainment was finished the guests were being herded like cattle. For those who hadn’t booked a room it was wait on your taxis in the car park, and for those, like me and my partner that were staying over, we were sent to our rooms like two naughty school kids. I couldn’t even get a drink at 1.30am. I phoned reception 4 times between 2.15am and 2.30am to see if there was a garage nearby and never once got an answer. I was told by the receptionist the next morning, they only have a night porter if the hotel is fully booked. Glad i didn’t need a doctor!!!

Am I getting old and deluded by this treatment, or has anyone else had a similar experience in this place.

I definitely won’t be going back there
Natasha

syko-activ8d

Bit harsh to say avoid at all costs, the carvery on a Sunday is great!

NAR

What an awful experience Natasha. Have you spoken to your niece since to see if she had any feedback from any of the other guests? I know why you did not complain on the day about the meal, but did others say to her about the overall experience and did she complain?

The comments may appear a bit harsh if the carvery is good, but I think MSE'rs have a right to know what an awful experience they potentially face if they wish to stay over.

mypie

Did you contact the hotel with your complaints since your visit?

Pretani

Pity we weren't living in Victorian times, a Faulty Towers would pull in some business with foreign staff and odd lodgers to laugh at

forgive me.........

Artofdookie

Hardly a nightmare, you must have had life way too easy

shaz77_2

It sounds like quite a nice hotel, what exactly is your grievance?

Pretani

shaz77 wrote: »

It sounds like quite a nice hotel, what exactly is your grievance?

No starch on the shirts

Knockagh_Lodge

Hello Tasha70,

Your comments were bought to our attention today. We are disappointed that you didnt enjoy your experience with us. If you could provide us with more details of which wedding you attended, we will look into your complaint further.

Your comments have surprised us as feedback from all our wedding parties and guests this year has been positive and complimentary.

Many Thanks

Greg Braniff
(Marketing Administrator)

miserly_mum

We got married in February this year and saw The Knockagh Lodge website and thought it looked ideal as they were licenced for actual marriage ceremonies as well as the receptions (exatly what we were looking for).

I had also had quite a few lovely meals in the Knockagh Lodge restaurant over the years and had no complaints on that score. The restaurant and bar are lovely and I thought it would make an excellent wedding venue as they had also recently built and new bedroom annex and we had guests coming from the mainland who would need accomodation

The prices were very reasonable too so we booked an appointment with the wedding planner. Driving up to the place we were also very unimpressed by the rubble etc but that was nothing compared to the inside.

As I have already said the downstairs is lovey and my then Fiance was very impressed as he'd never been there before. Then we were taken upstairs and it can only be describe as vile. Ancient wrinkly carpet, peeling wallpaper and shabby curtains. When we were shown the smaller function room I actually felt like saying "yeah but seriously where's the real room"?. The skirtings were filthy, chipped and were about an inch thick in dirt and the place hadn't seen a lick of paint in a long long time.

The wedding planner did try to reassure us that the place needed bit of updating but that it was going to be redecorated etc and it would all be completed by January 2010 (this was in june 2009). As we had told them our wedding would be in February 2010 I assumed that the place wasn't actually being currently used for weddings ( I honestly couldn't imagine having a wake in that room let alone a wedding reception) but yes they were open for business.

We saw the second larger room which was better but not by much. When we asked where the wedding ceremony would take place we were shown the hallway/landing a the top of the stairs between the two function rooms. No separate room, no privacy. just a landing and the hideous wrinkly 70's carpet.

The wedding planner was a camp(and I am not homophobic) little gremblin called I think Andrew who was dressed in skinny jeans and trainers which I felt was totally unprofessional given his position and kept making little unfunny and quite embarrassing (given the circumstances) sexual innuendos. A perfect example was to my Partner " basically there is nothing set in stone, I can give you almost anything you want hahaha well obviously not me personally hahaha well maybe with in reason hahaha " After the event we could do nothing but laugh about it but its not something you want to hear from your potential wedding planner now is it?

The whole experience was a farce from start to finish. It was only after seeing the venue that we realised why they didn't show any pictures of it on their website. Just snaps of the downstairs which is lovely and the new bedroom annex which is I have to say is very nice.

Now it may well be beautifully renovated by now as I said that was last summer but I personally would have been mortally embarrassed to even show potential customers around the place as it was (and i'm being totally honest here) a real sh*te hole.

Tasha70

...as I said I won't be back, but I feel I need to respond to a few of the replies here.

NAR
A few of my family members felt the same reference the meal, but I don't think any of my niece's guests would really say to her "that was crap" on her big day or afterwards.

mypie
I sent an e-mail off to the manager (Jackie) who was overseeing the Wedding, but as yet still no reply.

Artofdookie
Easy life? Hi Art, my niece holds down 2 jobs and has a 3 year old son and she lives a comfortable life, but when your paying a hotel over £2,500 you expect the standard to be better than a run down Bed & Breakfast. So unless you've experienced this place first hand, I wouldn't comment unless you fancy staying over some night.

Greg (Marketing Adminstrator)
I'm astounded! They have a Marketing Department in the Knockagh Lodge Hotel but no residents bar or night porter!

miserly_mum
Sorry to hear about your awful experience, our ceremony was in the hotel and was held in the store room upstairs. My niece paid a chair cover company and was gobsmacked to find that they weren't even in the room for the Wedding ceremony. When we asked the girl why the chairs with the covers on were not in the room, she shrugged her shoulders and said there was no one to carry them back round to the Banqueting room. Instead our room looked like the photograph below. I mean how long would it take to carry 84 chairs from one room to another. The photo below is taken from the Knockagh Lodge Hotel's facebook.



...and finally when we were having our Tea & Coffee, the first thing that caught my eye was the carpet. It looked like Stevie Wonder had laid it, but like I said "once bitten, and twice shy"

I'll make sure in the future whether it be a Birthday Party, Family Gathering ...we will all do our homework and make sure we get value for money.

Rant over!